Great Race Place gets a little greater

The Stronach Group is betting that $15 million in improvements will get more fans to Santa Anita

In a photo provided by Benoit Photo, Hear the Ghost, right, with jockey Corey Nakatani, heads to victory in the the Grade II, $300,000 San Felipe Stakes horse race Saturday, March 9, 2013, at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. At rear is Tiz a Minister, with Garrett Gomez. (AP Photo/Benoit Photo)
— AP

In a photo provided by Benoit Photo, Hear the Ghost, right, with jockey Corey Nakatani, heads to victory in the the Grade II, $300,000 San Felipe Stakes horse race Saturday, March 9, 2013, at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. At rear is Tiz a Minister, with Garrett Gomez. (AP Photo/Benoit Photo)
/ AP

Horse racing’s fall season starts in earnest this weekend with important Breeders’ Cup prep races on both coasts.

But in the West, racing interest will be focused on Santa Anita as that storied track opens to great expectations.

The Stronach Group, owner of Santa Anita Park and others throughout the land, poured $15 million into improvements it hopes will get fans back to the Arcadia racetrack. The 30th Breeders’ Cup Championships will be held at Santa Anita on Nov. 1-2 for the second straight year, but the new improvements will be on full display Friday for the autumn opener.

Some of the improvements include an expanded Clubhouse Mezzanine that features a mini-food and beverage emporium, a bigger outside Turf Terrace for dining, a Sports Book Lounge and a high rollers room, the Eddie Logan Suite, named for the track’s legendary shoeshine man who buffed shoes at the track for eight decades.

Other noticeable changes were made in the track’s audio visual displays, namely the addition of high-definition televisions with surround sound.

Racing starts Friday with the Grade III, $100,000 Eddie D Stakes, named for Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye, who remains active as a blood stock agent and racing ambassador at Santa Anita.

Saturday’s card features five Grade I, Win-And-You’re-In Breeders’ Cup races. They include the $250,000 FrontRunner Stakes for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles; the $250,000 Awesome Again for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles; the $250,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes for fillies and mares 3 years old and up at 1¼ miles; the $250,000 Zenyatta Stakes for fillies and mares 3 years old and up at 1 ¼ miles on the turf; the $250,000 Chandelier Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles. There also is the $70,000 Unzip Me Stakes.

On Sunday, to wrap up the weekend, there’s the Grade II, $150,000 John Henry Turf Championship at 1¼ miles.